A. Field of Invention
This invention pertains to the art of methods and apparatuses regarding vehicle seat relocation and the loading of people and cargo, and more particularly to methods and apparatuses regarding the simplification of loading and unloading of an infant or child (or related child seat) into a vehicle.
B. Description of the Related Art
It is well known to use vehicles to carry or transport both cargo and human passengers. It is also well known to provide vehicles with seat assemblies that are secured to the vehicle frame within a passenger compartment. Each seat assembly includes one or more seat areas that receive passengers. Typically, each seat area is equipped with passenger restraints that are used to protect a passenger during a vehicle collision. These passenger restraints generally include one or more straps or belts referred to as “seat belts.” In cases where the passenger is small, such as a small child or a baby, it is well known to provide an additional device typically referred to as a “car seat,” “baby seat,” or “child seat,” which receives and protect the small passenger. Such child seats are generally secured to the seat assembly using the corresponding seat belts.
Typically a seat assembly for an automotive vehicle includes a generally upright seatback fixedly or movably connected to a generally horizontal seatbase for use in supporting an occupant in the seat assembly. The seatbase may be fixedly or movably connected to the vehicle frame. The seatbase may be movable, for example, to permit adjustment for userheight. The seatbase and/or seatback may also be movable into a position where the seat assembly, or a portion thereof, may be stored.
Additionally, it is well known in the art for vehicle seats to be adjustable in numerous ways. The seatback may, for example, recline to a near horizontal angle while the seatbase remains stationary. In another known example, the entire seat assembly may be raised and lowered. It is also known to provide a seat assembly mounted to rails that enable the front-facing seat assembly to slide in a forward and reverse direction while facing the same direction. In another known example, vehicle seats may rotate about a horizontal axis whereby the front-facing seat can rotate so that it faces the rear of the vehicle. In yet another known example, vehicle seats may rotate on a horizontal axis from front-facing to rear-facing seats wherein the entire seat assembly rotates and the seatback becomes the seatbase and the former seatbase becomes the seatback. It is also known to provide seat assemblies that may be placed into a storage cavity. An example of such a seat assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,581 issued Dec. 14, 1993 to Odagaki et al.
When child seats are used, it is known to secure the child seat using a number of receptacles, which are recess mounted into the rearwardly facing surface of the vehicle seatback for fastening the top portion of a child seat. It is also known to use fasteners at the base of frontwardly facing surface of the vehicle seatback to tether the lower portion of the child seat so that the child seat can be securely fastened to the vehicle and vehicle seat. An example of such a fastening system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,604 to Stack et al.
While such known designs generally work well for their intended purpose, they do not fully solve the problems encountered by parents and/or guardians when loading (or unloading) a child into (or out of) a vehicle. More specifically, it is generally difficult to access a child for loading and unloading purposes regardless of whether a child seat is used or not. Typically, a user must climb into the passenger compartment of the vehicle (with the child in their arms) in order to properly load and fasten the child into the vehicle seat or child seat. This procedure is time consuming and physically difficult for the user, as it must be repeated each and every time the child enters and exits the vehicle. An easier and faster method is needed to load and unload a child into and out of a vehicle.